Butterflies and Hurricanes
by Sakata980
Summary: Misaki has left her life behind and moved on to Konoha.Easily, she manages to make an enemy out of the high school heartthrob, Sasuke Uchiha. What will happen when they both can't figure out their emotions and are hell bent on making each other suffer? Will their minds win over their hearts? Or will it be the oher way round? Rated T for language and slight violence.
1. Chapter 1: The Welcome

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters! I own only my OC (Misaki)! And I owe this whole chapter to ShadowSoulSpirit, my Beta who has been like an angel! Happy reading! :)**

Chapter 1 : The Welcome

Misaki ran through the corridor of her school. Actually she wasn't running, more like being pushed around by the crowd. Shifting from England to Japan wasn't an easy thing for her and the first day at her new school, Konoha High, wasn't making it any better.

_'Oh my gosh! There are just so many people in here! Gotta get to class! Wait a sec, where is the class?! Damn! Why can't there be some signs in English?!'_

"Ouch!" She yelled, as she banged into someone. She was holding her head in pain and crouching down trying to pick up her books.

"Are you blind?! Or are you just plain dumb?!" She looked up to see a pink-haired girl yelling.

"Oh no, Sakura! She was just trying to touch Sasuke-kun!" A blonde standing beside her said.

"Ino, Sakura, pick up my books. Some people are unquestionably naive." A male voice said, annoyance dripping from each word.

"Who do you think you're calling naive, huh?!" Misaki shot back and faced the male, the person who she had banged into.

At this, he just smirked and said, "I haven't seen you before."

That smirk of his just annoyed her more than she could handle. "Well how nice of you to notice that I'm new in here!" she retorted sarcastically.

His smirk just grew wider._ 'Uh oh'_, she thought,_ 'something's not right.'_ Ino and Sakura had grins plastered on their faces as well. Everyone else had gathered in a circle around them. Sasuke got up, cleared his throat and said, "My apologies. I shouldn't have treated you that rudely. Perhaps we should try this again, I'm Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. And you are?" He asked.

"Uh, Yazuka Misaki." She replied, uncertain.

"Misaki, let me formally welcome you to Konoha High. Sakura, do you have something that we can offer to our new _mate?_"

"Of course I do, Sasuke!" She chimed and gave him a can of cola that he opened and held in one hand while extended the other as a gesture for her to get up.

Misaki seemed annoyed and confused at the same time. She hesitantly took his hand and he helped her up. And all of a sudden the look on his face changed from empathetic to devious and he spilled the whole can of soft drink on her, first drenching her black hair and then her pink t-shirt.

"Welcome to Konoha High, Misaki-chan." He whispered in her ear and left her standing there in the middle of the crowd that had had broken out into hysterics.

She clenched her fists to prevent the tears from falling.

_'Curse you, Uchiha.'_

"Hey! Leave her alone will ya, you scums!" A loud and rugged voice came from the throng.

"What's your problem, Uzumaki? Can't bear it if someone else is made fun of instead of you?" someone else yelled.

Misaki had almost picked up her books and was starting to make her way towards the rest room. She had successfully managed to tune out the loud crowd and focus and let her bangs cover her eyes .This was by far the worst day of her life. Even worse than the day when Alex had almost... _ 'No!'_ She mentally shouted. _'I had promised myself, I'm never going to remember** that** ever.'_

"Hey! Misa-chan! Wait up!" The same rugged voice shouted again.

Misaki turned around in full rage to tell whoever it was to just 'fuck off'. She had had enough of bullshit for the day.

"Misaki!" There was another voice this time. Of a girl.

She turned around to be faced by a blonde boy and a dark purple haired girl.

"Well, what do you want?!" She snarled at them.

They both flinched at her tone.

"Naruto-kun." The girl said as she inched closer to the boy.

"I know, Hinata, but I can't leave her alone like this. You of all people should know that." Naruto replied.

This was pissing her off even more; in a weird way. On one side it was bothering her that he was taking pity on her but on the other hand it was quite nice to know that maybe he does care.

"Misa-chan. I'm really sorry about what Sasuke did. He is an A-grade jerk! Just because he's an Uchiha, he thinks he can do anything he likes. Oh, by the way, I'm Naruto Uzumaki and this is Hinata Hyuuga. Let us help you." He said with a bright smile.

Somehow this little gesture made Misaki smile too. Hinata then led her to the bathroom to help her wash up while Naruto waited outside.

-In the Bathroom-

"Say, Misa-chan. Where are you from?" Hinata asked.

"England. I lived there since the past 10 years, I've just recently shifted to Konoha." Misaki replied.

She washed off her hair and Hinata gave her a fresh t-shirt from her locker. After changing, they went out and Naruto was standing there sipping some soft drink.

"You OK now, Misa-chan?" The blond asked. He really was concerned. His eyes said it all.

"Yep. Thanks a bunch you both. I was really off to a bad start in here." The black head replied as she shook her head.

"No trouble at all Misa-chan! Uzumaki Naruto always here at your service!"

This line made her giggle. The school bell rang indicating that it was time for lunch and that since this was the first day of school, they would all be allowed to leave after that.

Naruto's stomach rumbled and Hinata stifled a silly laugh.

"Naruto, don't you wanna hurry up and grab the lunch? I heard that they're serving ramen today." Hinata said.

"RAMEN?! AWWW YEEAAHHH!" All of a sudden, the hyperactive blonde became super-hyperactive and Misaki just stared at him wide eyed.

"Misa-chan! You have to try the Ramen here! It's just so good! And I'll also make you meet all of our other friends!" Naruto said as he dragged her and Hinata by their arms and off to the lunch room.

The lunch room was filled with so many people that for once Misaki was thankful that Naruto was holding her arm or else she would have got lost. And she did not want to stray around alone only to bang into the infamous devil, Sasuke Uchiha again.

Within no time they had their food filled trays in their hands and they were walking to a table where a group of people were seated. She glanced over at Naruto and her eyed widened three folds as she saw the amount of food that was there in his tray! It was so much that it would last four days for her! Naruto noticed this and just gave her a sheepish smile as they reached the table.

"Hey guys!" Naruto yelled at them.

There all greeted back with different names,

"Naruto."

"Knucklehead."

"Blondy!"

"Hello!" Hinata said. And they all reciprocated their 'hies' and 'hellos'.

"So people, meet Misaki-chan! She's new in here!" Naruto said holding her hand up as if he was introducing them to some champion.

"Uh, well, hiya people!" Misaki said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster in her nervous state.

"Hey! I'm Tenten. Nice to meet you." A girl young brunette said.

"Misa-chan! I am Lee. Rock Lee. Its really an honour to meet a beautiful maiden such as you!" a guy with shiny black hair and huge eyebrows said. Tenten instantly bonked him on his head.

"LEE! Stop scaring her away!" She yelled at him and everyone broke into laughter while Misaki just blushed and giggled.

"Kiba Inuzuka at your disposal, Misaki. You ever need anything related to pets or any help with any sport, I'm you guy." The brunette chuckled out as he flashed a grin and winked at her.

"I'm Shikamaru. Sorry I'm really not up for introductions, its a big drag." He yawned as he said so and was asleep the next instant.

"Well, excuse him; he's just... a really sleepy person." Naruto said as he sweat dropped.

Misaki just smiled and sat down silently munching away at her lunch and paying attention to what they were talking about. These people, they seemed really good. Unlike the Uchiha and his two pets, they seemed to have an identity and hearts. Maybe Konoha wasn't going to be that bad after all. But, she reminded herself that she had to take her time in trusting them.

Back in England, she was the Homecoming Queen and the most popular, classy and cool girl in the whole school, but here, here she was just a newbie and that felt kinda weird but nice at the same time. She felt happy that no one here would make up fake-scandals about her just to let her down, but if she only knew what a certain someone had in store for her...


	2. Chapter 2: Roller-coasters!

**A/N: Here's chapter 2! Got a lot of visitors but just one review! people please! review!**

_**Just one important thing though: this is after a two month time lapse... **_

**happy reading! :)**

Chapter 2: Roller-coasters!

_2 months later..._

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Misaki twist and turn in her bed trying to block out the annoying sound that was ruining her sleep.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

_'Ugh!_' Misaki internally groaned._ 'Its Sunday morning which great idiot is outta their bed?!'_

Misaki got up, eyes still clouded with sleep and her hair, a mess of wild black bangs. She slouched upto the door of her apartment and opened it to be greeted by a loud, hyperactive Naruto.

"MISAKI-CHAN! I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WAKE YOU UP SINCE THE PAST ONE HOUR!" He yelled.

"Naruto, its 8 o'clock in the morning. Its frigging 8 o'clock on a Sunday morning! What do you want?! And what are you trying to do?! Burst my eardrums?!" Misaki snapped at him as she held her ears.

"You're kidding right? You didn't forget that we were all going to the Amusement Park today did you?"

"Holy shit! Amusement Park! We were supposed to leave at 8:15 or else we'll miss the bus!" Misaki screamed as she sprint towards her room grabbed her clothes and rushed into the bathroom._ 'How could I have been so careless?!'_ Her mind rambled as realization hit her and all thoughts of sleep vanished into thin air.

The school had arranged for a day out for the senior students to the Amusement Park. It was the best one in Konoha and she had been excited about it since the past two weeks. She had literally been counting days it was pretty weird that she forgot all about it on the day of the trip.

She jumped out of the bathroom at looked at the clock,_ '8:10, in time!'_

"Let's go!" Naruto said holding the keys of her apartment. They locked it and dashed towards their bus stop. Thank God it was right in front of her house or else they both would have been left out!

Misaki still had two minutes and she took the time to stare at her reflection in the mirror that had been put in the shop in front of which they were standing. She had put on a white tank top with a black jacket and blue shorts with her favourite black converse sneakers and her straight black hair had been tied into a high pony tail. Overall, she'd rate herself an eight out of ten.

_Honk! Honk!_

The bus had arrived. Naruto and Misaki climbed in and were greeted by the rest of the gang. She smiled, it had two months now since they first met and now they have become inseparable. She sat down next to Kiba as Naruto sat near Hinata.

"OK students! It's a half an hour drive from here to the park. So we'll reach there around 8:50. You kids can then go your way and have all the fun you want, the only condition is that you need to be back in the bus by 5:30 p.m. is that understood?" Kakashi Sensei spoke.

"Hai!" Came a combined sound of all students.

"Good then, looks like I won't have to babysit you afterall." Kakashi Sensei muttered as he slipped his hands into his pocket and pulled out a book.

Misaki heard a snort and she turned around to look at Uchiha and his "friends" and "fangirls". She had been avoiding him ever since the first day and had so far been successful in her task for 2 months now. The only time she ever saw him was in her Biology class and Art class, even then she made sure to maintain her distance from the Devil.

"So Misa-chan, you're ready for all the rides?" Kiba questioned, one brow quirked up in curiosity.

"Yeah! Bring it on! From anywhere!" Misaki cheered with a fist in the air.

"Misaki, its just an Amusement Park, not like someone's gonna come and attack you." Tenten said as she sweatdropped.

"Eh? I guess you're right." Misaki sighed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head.

FF to the time when the reach the park.

"Ok guys! Here's the map! I have planned out everything so that we don't miss out a single second of fun in here. First we go to the 'Cliff-hanger'!" Lee said.

"Alright then, Lee! Lead the way!" Tenten chimed and they all followed him towards the ride. All the while Misaki had the strangest of feelings that someone was staring at her. She just shrugged it off though.

_'Nah... I out of all people cannot have a stalker...'_

After almost 13 rides and a growling stomach, they all slumped into the grass with the exception of Lee and Naruto who were still as hyper as ever.

"Naruto-kun, why don't you sit down and rest?" Hinata said.

"No way, Hinata! We still have a lot more on the list! We have to get going! Nothing's gonna stop me from trying on all the rides in this place! Believe it!" Naruto said as he did a thumbs up in the air and just then, his stomach grumbled real loud. They all just stared at him in silence.

"OK perhaps hunger can..." He spoke out sheepishly and everyone burst into laughter. Hinata, well she just giggled.

We went to the restaurant and grabbed a burger, munched it down and were on our feet again. Misaki once more had the feeling of being watched and turned and looked around, but there was no one. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she scanned the area.

"Misaki-chan? You OK?" Hinata asked, noticing the worry that was crowding her friend's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Behold! I present to you the largest and scariest roller coaster of Konoha, the Rasengan-Chidori Coaster! It'll take you to the sky and then propel you downwards as fast as light, then drive you like a corkscrew until the world starts spinning, and in the end... it will drop you from, THERE!" Kiba said as he pointed towards the high peak from where the coaster's track was literally 90 degrees towards the bottom. Everyone's jaw was literally on the floor, Hinata nearly fainted and Misaki? Well, Misaki, she just gawked at it.

"Hn, bunch o' losers going to ride Rasengan-Chidori, eh?" They all looked around to see Mr. Oh-So-Smart Uchiha and his so called "ELITE" gang.

"Hehe, you think they would make it back to the ground without puking?" Suigetsu asked, smirking.

"HEY! Shut your trap! We are going there. And if you've got the guts, why don't you come and sit in the same coaster?! That way we'll know who really gets scared!" Naruto said, his eyes burning.

_'Oh no! No way I'm getting on that! I'll die screaming!'_ Misaki internally groaned.

"Uhh, Naruto, come on, these people are not worth our time." Misaki beseeched trying her best not to sound nervous.

"What's wrong _scaredy cat_can't take up a little challenge, huh?" Sasuke lilted, Misaki didn't need to turn around to look at the devious smirk plastered to his handsome face, it was all in his voice.

"Hmm, isn't she the _cola-girl_? The one's been running away and hiding from you since the first day?" Suigetsu asked.

Misaki's brow twitched. There was a dark aura around her.

_'The nerve of his...' _

"What'd you just call me?" She dared him as she slowly turned around.

"Cola-" Suigetsu started but before he could finish, Misaki had landed a flat kick on his chest and he stumbled almost a meter away. She stood there glaring at him and clenching her fists. She then turned to Sasuke, he seems totally unfazed while everyone else stared at her.

_'Hn, interesting...'_ Sasuke mused.

"Yeah! That's right!" Naruto cheered as a huge grin conquered his face.

"You. Listen to me. You're on. You wanna see if I can ride that coaster? Bring it on, Uchiha!" Misaki stepped in front of the raven-haired devil and looked straight into those intimidating onyx pools of his.

"Hn, let's do it then. Just you and me." He snorted as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Fine!" She seethed and stomped off towards the coaster with Sasuke following right behind her.

_'This ought to be fun... Hn, lets see how far you go, Misa-chan...' _The Devil inwardly smirked.

"What is she doing?!" Tenten wailed at Kiba and Lee who were just looking at their friend's retreating back.

"You can do it, Misa-chan!" The addressed girl turned her head to see Naruto flailing his arm at her while holding a knocked out Hinata in the other. She sweat dropped.

_'So they weren't coming afterall... but neither were Suigetsu or Ino or Sakura or the new red-haired girl. So it __was__just her versus **him**. This is my chance, I have to prove that I am not afraid of him.'_ Misaki assured herself as they stood behind the gates.

"You ready, _Misa-chan_?" He whispered in her ear, the name rolling off his tongue in the most taunting of ways that it made her shiver and Goosebumps spread through her body.

_'What is he doing? No! I wont be intimidated!' _Her mind screamed as she quickly regained her composure and shot back.

"Are you always so disgusting? Or is today a special day?"

Sasuke just snorted in response as he stepped ahead of her.

The whole coaster was empty the second Sasuke said that he wanted to go on that coaster with Misaki, _alone._She was pretty amazed at the way everyone obeyed him as if he was a king of some sorts.

"After you." He gestured.

"Hm, being good doesn't suit you, Uchiha. Don't pretend."

"Ouch." Somehow that comeback of his made her smile. It was weird. He was supposed to be a grade-A jerk, right?

He sat down next to her and the coaster started; her heartbeat speeding up with each passing second. _'Ok. Now I am getting nervous.' _

-Back with the others-

Tenten and Ino were having a stare down competition.

"Tenten, this is it." Naruto awed as he stared at his best friend sitting the coaster, beside _him._

"A-are y-you sure she-she'll be okay?" Hinata muttered incoherently as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

The coaster had reached the peak; Sasuke and Misaki were seated in the front and till now none of them had screamed even through all the ups and downs and the corkscrew. This was the final stand. Everyone just stared at the two of them.

-Back at the coaster-

"How are you holding up?" Sasuke asked, smirking.

Misaki had shut her eyes but could completely "hear" the smirk in his tone. She hadn't screamed. Not one bit, infact she had even not held on to the railing yet while he was leaning his elbows on it for support.

_'Show off!' _Her mind muttered.

_'She sure knows how to handle a challenge. Hn... perhaps I should make it a little worse for her.' _His mind reeled.

"Open your eyes, _Misa-chan_. Here's the big surprise." He whispered in her ear in a sing song voice and in response her eyes shot open and she glared at him until he smirked and she realized what was about to come.

"HOLY SHIT!" She mused out loud, as she looked in front; her heart pounding even faster than before. And down they went, Misaki shut her eyes and gripped onto whatever her hands could. But she didn't scream. She couldn't scream. And almost 5 seconds later they were down back. She let out a sigh of relief but didn't allow herself to open her eyes in an attempt to calm down her racing heart.

She opened her eyes after a long time and let out a shaky breath; her mind still reeling a little from the drop.

"You know, you can let go of my hand now." She was brought back to reality by the sound of _his_ voice.

She snapped her head towards him and then looked down at the seat and saw their hands intertwined, she blushed, let go of his hand and just kept her head down. She muttered a 'sorry'.

_'Awkward much?' _Her mind taunted. She suppressed the thought and allowed herself a small smile.

They reached the end. She had done it! Before their belts were opened all of her friends and Sasuke's friends were there.

"Misa-chan! You did it!" Lee, Kiba, Naruto and Tenten shouted together.

"Well done Misaki-chan!" Hinata said.

"So now, Sasuke! She accepted your challenge and..." Naruto went near him and said.

"Yeah whatever. She survived." Sasuke said looking as annoyed as ever.

Misaki smiled and laughed with the others, she looked around to see Sasuke staring at her and smiling. Not that devil-like smile of his but a genuine smile.

_'So long, Misa-chan.'_ Sasuke thought as Ino hooked her arm with his and walked away.

_'Sasuke didn't even mention the fact that I was so terrified that I ended up clutching his hand. And that smile, why was he... Maybe he isn't that bad afterall.'_ Misaki thought. That simple smile of his somehow made her feel the tinniest bit of happiness.

While later with Sasuke:

"Hmm... Sasuke..." Ino purred in his ear as she kissed him. Somehow he just wasn't in the mood. Ino was the sexiest girl in the school and she knew just how Sasuke liked it but today, today was different. In fact it had had been this way ever since the first day that he laid his eyes on Misaki. When he disrespected her in front of everyone, the hurt on her face. And then when she smiled when she was with Naruto and Kiba. It somehow made his blood boil. He pushed Ino aside and went to the Men's room. Sasuke looked into the mirror, turned on the water and washed his face.

_'She was just an ordinary girl. Why was __she __having such an effect on me? Why is it that when she held my hand I didn't want her to let it go?'_ Sasuke's head swirled in thoughts.

All of a sudden he snapped and punched the wall, bruising his hand a little.

_'No. I'm just going paranoid. She's not my type. She's the reason why I'm acting strange. She's the reason why even Ino can't take my mind off things. I will make her pay.' _


	3. Chapter 3: Realizing Feelings Or not?

A/N: Okay... Here's the third chapter! People this is really depressing! Is no one reading this at all?! Someone please please review! How is the plot going? Is Misaki okay? Is Sasuke as cool as he's supposed to be?! Something! ;_;

* * *

><p>Chapter 3:<p>

The next day in school, during Misaki's Art class.

"Ok class, so as you all know, our yearly celebration is drawing close and this year the whole responsibility of planning and dividing the work has been given to the Art section." Kakashi Sensei announced. Everyone started cheering.

"Calm down now. I have made a few groups and pairs amongst which I have divided the topics that need to be taken into consideration. I need you all to come to school tomorrow, and yes I am aware that it's a Sunday, and brainstorm with the people you're assigned with, is that clear?" The white haired man continued as he looked over at the faces of his students, scanning each one of them. A small hint of smile in his eyes.

The room was filled with a mixture of cheers and groans. Misaki, on the other hand was plain nervous and excited at the same time and Sasuke, he just 'hn-ed'.

"So, what are the groups Sensei?" Temari questioned as she played with her sand- blonde hair.

"Well, you know, while I was coming to school, a black cat crossed my way and I had to come from the longer route so I didn't really get time to think over the groups." The teacher explained while rubbing the back of his head.

"YOU LIAR!" The whole classed yelled together as Misaki just giggled.

"Don't worry; I'll just put up a list in front of the classroom so that you all know who you're working with tomorrow morning itself. For now, you are all dismissed." And with that, Kakashi Sensei left the class.

Misaki walked out of the room and headed towards the lockers. She wondered who her group mate would be. _'I hope its Temari or Sai, they're both super creative and the only ones I get along with.'_ In most of her classes she had the company of atleast one person from the gang, but in Art she was alone. Temari and Sai were the only one's she got along with, the rest well, they just crowded around Sasuke.

Misaki reached her locker, opened it and started placing her books inside.

"Uh, excuse me?" A male voice questioned, quite hesitantly but it had confidence in it at the same time.

Misaki turned around to look at him. She gasped at the sight of the man in front of her. Black obsidian eyes and hair that matched with them, a smile on his lips and face that bore far too much resemblance to Sasuke.

"Excuse me? Are you alright?" The man asked again looking at her awed expression.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." Misaki muttered, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Well, I'm kinda lost; could you tell me where Ebisu Sensei's office is?" The Sasuke-look-alike questioned.

"S-Sure. Just a left from there and go straight, you should reach his office." She said pointing towards the intersection.

"Thanks a lot!" The man lilted and walked away.

'Who was that?!' Misaki wondered. She made her way to lunch hall, grabbed her food and went to her table. Everyone was there, except Lee.

"Hey guys! Where's Bushy Brows? I missed him in Literature today!" Misaki sat down at her usual place beside Naruto.

"Yeah, where is he?" The blonde questioned as he seemed to realize his absence.

"Uhh, well Lee, he kinda had an accident. He hurt his leg and is having some serious trouble walking." Tenten explained as she played with the food on her plate with her fork.

"Whoa?! What happened?" Kiba and Naruto said in unison; loud enough for everyone to stare at our table.

"It's nothing serious really, he'll be fine." The brunette in question shrugged as she ignored the looks of the passer-bys.

"Well, how about we all go meet him today?" Hinata crooned. "Plus I can make some medicine for him, that way he'll feel better."

"Yeah that's a good idea!" Came Kiba's affirmation.

"So how about we meet there at 5, eh?" Naruto glanced at his watch and then at Misaki.

"Yep! Fine by me." She replied.

"I'll be there." Kiba muttered as he stuffed a mouthful of noodles.

"See ya there then!" Tenten nodded as she went off to dump her plate.

AT LEE'S HOUSE

" Guys, I'm so glad you came!" Lee exclaimed as he tried to get up but failed miserably.

"Lee, it's okay. Don't stress yourself." Misaki smiled at him as she pushed him back on the bed.

"So, tell me, how was school today? What'd ya'll do?" Bushy-brow questioned once he got comfortable with the pillows.

"Oh yeah! I just remembered! The Art group is going to be planning the K-Fest this year!" Misaki chimed.

"Wow! That's great news!" Hinata softly spoke.

"So what are you planning, eh?" The super loud blonde, enthusiastically questioned.

"I have no idea. I don't even know who my group mates are!" Misaki groaned out, her brows furrowed in frustration.

"Well I'm sure it'll be amazing!" Kiba consoled her as he nudged her arm.

The gang talked for a while and everyone started leaving one by one till there were just Misaki and Lee left alone.

"Misa-chan, there's something I wanted to tell you from quite a while. I just... I just don't know how to say it to you..." Lee trailed off as he stared into space.

"What is it Lee?" Misaki coaxed.

"Uhh... it's about Sasuke."

"What about him?"

"Just about everything!"

"Eh? Lee! What's wrong?"

"It's his behaviour, he's just gotten a lot more frustrated ever since you've come around, I can see it in his eyes. And I've noticed the way he looks at you. Sometimes it's as if he's the hunter and you're his prey while at other times he looks at you as if you're an angel sent from heaven! Its almost as if you baffle him! Whatever it is, I just don't want you to get in any sort of trouble." Lee finished as he ran out of breath because of speaking so fast.

Misaki clutched and squeezed his hand, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I'll be fine Lee! You really don't have to worry about me. Right now, you tell me how you got in this state?" "Oh yeah, well, I was just coming to school as usual on my bike and just as I took a turn, a black Corvette struck me, the guy sitting inside came out, he looked pretty English ya know, and had almost the same accent as you." The spandex wearer seemed lost in thought as he explained the scene to her.

"What'd he look like?" Misaki enquired, her brow rising out of curiosity.

"He had mud brown hair and was well built with deep blue eyes. When he got out and looked at me I thought he was going to come and hit me. But he just got out, kicked the car as if it was the car's fault that I got struck and then muttered a 'Sorry, man' and drove away! Can you believe it! A young man in his youth didn't help me but just went away! I just assume he was drunk or else who would be capable of such coldness?!"

_'I know people who are capable of far more coldness... but the appearance that lee described, blue eyes, ruffled hair, it couldn't possibly be him. Could it? No! I'm just imagining things. It can't be.'_ She had a gut feeling that something bad was coming her way. All of a sudden, the clouds rumbled. A storm was headed their way. Co-incidental, eh?

"Uhh Lee, I think I should get going. It's been pretty long and I think there's just one last bus that goes from here. I'll catch that, 'kay? You take care! I'll come and visit you soon!" Misaki said as she walked towards the door.

"Okay, Misa-chan! Just call me once you reach home." Lee gave her his signature smile with his shining teeth.

Halfway to the bus station and the clouds broke out in a downfall of raindrops as sharp as slender knives. Misaki dashed towards the station and checked its schedule.

_'What?! 45 minutes to the next bus?! That's insanity!"_

She was all drenched as she propped herself down on the seat. The wind blew against her wet form and caused her to shiver. She checked her phone but it was all drenched and most probably it won't even work again.

_'Great! Just what I needed!'_ She chuckled sardonically.

She watched as the cars go by thinking about what Lee had said yet again...

_'Sasuke, is baffled? By me?'_ Misaki pondered.

Minutes flew by as she was still lost in thought. She had stopped paying attention to her surroundings and didn't even notice when a black Lamborghini was parked right in front of the place where she was seated. The driver's seat window rolled down and a man called out to her.

"Uhm... Excuse me, Miss?" Came his velvety voice.

"Huh?" Misaki snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the man as she yelped out in surprise.

"Oh! Its you!"

"I see you remember me. My name is Itachi." He smiled.

"I'm Misaki."

He nodded and continued, "Well, I see you're waiting for the bus and considering you're all drenched, how about I drop you home? I already owe you for helping me out in school today."

"Uh, Sir, that's not necessary! And I don't think that'll be a good idea anyway. My house is too far from here." Misaki quickly spoke as she bowed. She had the urge to go with him so badly! Yes she didn't know him but he looked well, brotherly and warm. And a ride in a warm Lamborghini would be a lot better than going shivering in a bus. But, considering the car and herself, she couldn't really digest the fact of ruining the plush seats with her wet self.

"Hmm... Where do you live?"

"Uh, two blocks from the Yamanaka flower shop, in Konohagakure Apartments." She replied, her teeth had started chattering from the cold and it didn't go unnoticed by Itachi.

"If you stay out here then at this rate you are bound to fall sick. And well, I was just headed in that direction, I'm supposed to attend a dinner there. So, just hop in!"The older man coaxed; he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"You really are stubborn, huh?" Misaki chuckled, slightly relieved that she was going home in a warm Lamborghini.

"It runs in the family!" He joked as Misaki got in the car and sat herself down on the warm leather seat.

There was a comfortable silence as they drove.

"So, Misaki, since when did you join Konoha High?"

"Its been two months, Sir." Misaki replied as she counted the days.

"Sir? Just call me Itachi. I'm not really as old as I look!" The dark haired man laughed.

Misaki just blushed at that and nodded.

They reached the Ichiraku Restaurant and he pulled over his car there. Ichiraku was the most expensive restaurant in all of Konoha. Naruto would keep saying how good the ramen was here but that he couldn't really go there since it was far too expensive.

"Misaki, I have an urgent matter to attend to. My brother will drop you home from here. Just stay seated. He'll be here any minute." Itachi explained.

"Itachi, thank you very much." Misaki smiled as she looked into his gentle eyes.

He just smiled and left.

Misaki sat there waiting, smiling to herself. She closed her eyes for a minute and relaxed her shoulders. _'The people of Konoha are so good! '_

She heard the driver's door open and she gasped at who she saw.

"YOU!" Misaki said in unison with the other person.

"What are you doing here, Uchiha?!" Misaki snapped.

"ME?! I should be asking you that question. This is my car, in case you still haven't noticed my family's crest there." Sasuke pointed at the fan in the centre of the dashboard.

_'Oh My GOD!'_ Misaki thought_. 'How could I have missed that?!'_

"Itachi, is y-your bro-brother?!" She wearied.

"Hn, happy realization." He snorted as he sat in the driver's seat. He turned to face her and took in the way she looked. All drenched, half shivering, her lips had turned bluish from the cold_._

_ 'Ugh, damn. Just how careless can she get?'_ Sasuke thought.

"Uchiha, look I'm sorry, I didn't know he was your brother. Don't bother with dropping me; I'll just walk off from here." Misaki spoke in a low voice, her hand reaching out to unlock the door. He jerked her hand away from it and held on to her wrist.

"No. I'll drop you. The dinner is boring anyway and plus, its storming out there and we have school tomorrow." He muttered with finality in his tone as he let go of her hand to place it on the steering wheel.

_'Why the hell did I do that?!' _His mind reeled.

"I just don't want any obligations from you." He heard her mutter; her face down as she stared at her hands.

_'Obligations?!'_ Sasuke wondered.

"I'm not obliging you. Keep that in mind. I never oblige to anyone, what I do, I do because I want to. Get it?" He pulled out of the driveway and headed into the storming night.

"Okay." Misaki muttered; her voice cracking a bit.

Silence. That was all that there was as they drove towards her house, although, this silence wasn't the comfortable one that she had felt with Itachi. It was awkward, filled with tension.

"Left from here." Somehow she had almost lost her voice and when she spoke it came out like a weird whisper.

Sasuke just followed her direction and in time they reached her apartment. He pulled up in front of the main gate. He noticed Kiba there, impatiently punching numbers in his phone. Misaki saw him too.

"Oh shit!" She muttered and got out of the car. Kiba noticed her and ran towards her at full speed.

"Uhm, Uchiha, thanks." Misaki said as she gave him a small smile and walked off to meet with Kiba who pulled her a big hug and then moved his hand in her wet hair.

Sasuke stood there in his car, watching them; a strange feeling bubbling in his heart. He let out a low growl.

He saw as Kiba yelled at her a little and then give her another hug and walk away as Misaki walked into her apartment.

_'Why is he so close to her?! How can she let _him_ touch her like that?" _

Sasuke realized what had just crossed his mind and he groaned in frustration; running a hair through his dark locks.

"What is wrong with me?!" Sasuke yelled inside the car as he drove back at full speed.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4 here! Please review folks! :] **

Chapter 4

The sun cast a bright glow over the school. Misaki shielded her eyes from the bright light, racing toward the art classroom. She was a little late, but she smiled. Today, the teacher posted their project partners. Misaki didn't dare hide her excitement.

As Misaki made her way to the classroom, she noticed her class crowding outside the door. She also noticed that most of the kids were already grouping together. She recognized the familiar bob of her blonde haired friend. She was talking to someone. Coming up behind her, she greeted her friend, waving. "Hi, Temari!" She then smiled, recognizing the other person. "Hi, Sai!"

The girl's blue eyes lit up. "Misa-chan! Good morning! Just a little late, I see." Misaki smiled sheepishly, averting her eyes bashfully. Sai smiled at her, nodding.

Hiding her embarrassment, Misaki turned around, trying to get a close look at the board posted outside the art room. "So, what are the groups? Please tell me we're in the same group..."

Temari smiled, chuckling. "Sorry, no, but Sai and I are in a group together along with Kankuro. I saw your name, but someone scratched out the names of your partners. Stupid, really. But, there's a note saying that one of them is going to meet you near the lunch hall at the Sakura tree apparently."

What she said caught her off-guard. Maybe her partners wanted to be secret? She didn't know, but played along anyway. "I see. That's a little weird, but okay. I'll see you later guys!" she yelled, waving.

'_Who could it be? Scratching off names… huh… I guess I'll just have to see them for myself…'_

Misaki rushed towards the solitary Sakura tree by the lunch room. After a moment, it appeared in the distance, swaying slightly in the breeze. She picked up her pace and as she neared the trunk of the tree, she noticed someone was sitting on one of the branches. A boy that she had only seen a handful of times appeared to be sleeping, his long, dark blonde hair, kept neatly in a ponytail, playing in the wind. His long bangs hung low covering half his face.

Misaki stared up at him, waiting. She didn't want to disturb him, but on the other hand, she wanted to know her partners for the project. A welling grew in her stomach as she opened her mouth and closed it.

'_I hope I'm not bothering him…'_

"Ummm," she started, uneasily. "Excuse me?" she asked, a little bit louder. The teen opened his eyes and ran his hand over them.

'_Ah… His eyes…They are such a particular shade of blue'_, Misaki thought to herself_. 'So bright and stark, like the ocean…'_

The boy stared down at her before a grin spread over his lips. Without another thought, he jumped down from the tree flawlessly. He held out his hand, smiling a toothy grin. "You must be my group mate, hmm?" he said lightly. Misaki nodded slightly at his cool personality. "The name's Deidara, un."

She took his hand, shaking it slightly. "I'm Misaki," she said smiling.

Deidara ran his fingers through his bangs, fixing them to the side of his face. "And now, we just have to wait for one more person..." he grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets, leaning against the tree.

"So was it you or this other person that scratched our names out on the art room board?" Misaki asked situating herself next to him.

"That would be the other person," he said, grinning at her. "I left the note." He smiled. Misaki nodded, staring off in the distance.

Not a moment later, a rustle from behind Misaki broke her from her slight reverie. She began to turn around to greet her new partner.

"Deidara."

Misaki stopped, stiffening at the all too familiar voice. She shuddered before turning to face him with a tight smile.

'_Not him… Please…' _She prayed to whatever God was supposed to be sitting up in heaven.

"Uchiha," she sighed as she turned completely and looked at the raven-haired male, dropping her head slightly. His presence alone was enough to destroy her mood.

'_Sasuke Uchiha... why, oh why, did it have to be him...?' _She internally groaned.

Sasuke ignored her, facing Deidara. "Let's get this over with. I have lots of work to complete," he said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, like the rest of us just _love_ coming to school on Sundays..." Misaki mumbled bitterly under her breath.

Deidara bounced off the tree, noting the tension between the two. "Okay, now. Let's get to business," he said getting serious. "We get to spruce up the parade! We have to make the parade more attractive so that people will come to the stage. They want us to come up with more interesting ideas," he noted with enthusiasm.

Misaki had no clue what they were talking about. One problem with being new to a country was that very custom they practiced was foreign to her. She felt a little embarrassed.

'_Why didn't I ask Temari about this before?! And now I have to look dumb in front of him!' _

She looked up sheepishly, raising her hand slightly to get their attention. "Could you guys, um, tell me about the parade...?" she asked, a slight blush tinting her cheeks.

Deidara smiled, touching her shoulder slightly. He sat down, and Sasuke and Misaki followed suit. "Of course, un! It's called K-Fest and it's only the second best festival in town! What's even more awesome, is that only our school gets to showcase it. So, every year, the students dress up in their costume and parade through the city starting from the Great Hokage Stone Faces and ending at the school. Then, we all perform our plays in front of them!" he explained happily.

"Oh..." Misaki said, biting her lip. "Thank you for telling me."

Sasuke fell back onto his back, his arms cradling the back of his head. "Baka..." he muttered so low that Misaki wasn't even sure if she had heard it. She closed her eyes, anger welling in her chest. When she opened them again, Sasuke was staring at the clouds in the sky rolling lazily by.

'_No. Don't respond, Misaki. He's just trying to piss you off. Don't give him the satisfaction by snapping back at him.' _

She sighed, smiling slightly, staring at the grass beneath her. The sun was warm and the breeze tickled her cheek, playing with her hair.

'_The day is just too beautiful to stay mad, anyway.'_

Sasuke stole a glance at the new girl. She was smiling, staring at something in the grass. He was taken aback.

'_Why the hell is she smiling?'_

His mouth hung open slightly. He had to admit that with the scenery and with the wind playing with her hair, she didn't look half bad. The sunlight rivaled the brightness of her smile and the greenery around them brought her features out beautifully.

'_Is she always this beautiful?' _

Then he realized his thoughts. He mentally smacked himself, regaining his composure. He immediately looked away from the oblivious girl.

Deidara watched the exchange, a small grin playing at the edges of his mouth. He rubbed the back of his head chuckling. "This is gonna be one long day..." he muttered.

Misaki snapped out of her reverie, looking up to Deidara shaking his head slightly. "So what play are we going to do this year?" The blonde met her eyes, shrugging.

"That's what we get to decide. How about we list some and choose one that everyone is willing to do?"

Misaki nodded, smiling. "Hai, let's get to work!"

After a couple of hours, Misaki flopped onto her back. "I'm so tired," she whined, basking in the warm sunlight. They had come up with a decent list, and over the course of the list, they agreed and disagreed on several plays.

"Well we're pretty much done for the rest of the day. Okay, so we have Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Much Ado About Nothing for plays, and we agreed on a Wizard of Oz theme for the parade." Misaki and Sasuke nodded. "So now all we have to do is pick two plays and assign roles then, un."

Misaki sat cross-legged, bending forward, resting her head on her hand and placing her elbow on her knee. She thought for a moment, her brows furrowing. "Well, I really like Much Ado About Nothing, so we should do that one," she said happily. "And we should do-"

"Romeo and Juliet," Sasuke dully interjected, cutting her off. Misaki and Deidara stared incredulously at him. Before they could say anything, Sasuke continued. "Before you two say anything..." Misaki suppressed a giggle to which Sasuke returned with a glare. "That play has never been done before. Not to mention that the other two choices are completely boring."

Misaki returned his glare. "Hey! Sleeping Beauty is not boring! It's a beautiful love story and is-"

"Completely boring," Sasuke ended for her, eliciting another glare from the girl.

"It is not."

"Yes, it is," Sasuke said tightly.

"It is not!" Misaki said, her voice rising.

Deidara watched the two grow heatedly towards each other. He came up with an idea. "Um, guys? I think I have an idea about the...assigning...of" His words fell on deaf ears. The two were too wrapped in their argument to notice him. "...the roles..." He threw the notebook on the grass, falling back. He cradled his head with his arms and stared into the sky, drowning the two out.

"Yes, it is!" Sasuke yelled, his voice rising significantly.

"No it's not, you dumbass!" Misaki screamed at him, standing up. Sasuke stood up next to her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Shut up! Baka!"

The anger welled in Misaki's chest. She heaved heavily, trying to catch her breath. She couldn't think. She blurted the next word that came to mind. "Duckbutt!"

Sasuke's anger rose. "What the hell did you just call me?!" He yelled, his fist clenching.

"I called you a duck-"

"Guys! Cut it out already! It's been a long day! It's hot! I'd like to go home! We have a freaking parade to plan and you two are acting like children!" Misaki and Sasuke turned to a heaving Deidara. His face was red, stark contrast to his bright blonde hair, and his eyes angry. Misaki could almost see the steam spouting from his ears.

Misaki felt horrible. She didn't know what it was about the boy next to her, but he made her so angry! She knew she didn't do anything to him to elicit such behavior from him, but whatever it was, she wanted to know. She stole a glance at the angry boy before averting her gaze to the ground. She shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry, Deidara," she muttered.

Hearing her reaction, Sasuke turned to stare at the girl's bowed head.

'_I just can't believe this girl! She's driving me insane!'_

Never in his life had he ever lost his cool like he had just now. The thought made him angry. What was this girl doing to him?

Deidara cleared his throat. Both teens turned to look at him. "So, as I was saying," he started more calmly, "the two plays are going to be Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. To choose roles, we'll place names in a hat and do a random draw. How does that sound?"

"Do whatever you want," Sasuke muttered, earning a glare from Misaki.

"Don't listen to him, Deidara. He's just being a downer. I think it's a great idea!" she said happily, smiling brightly.

Sasuke caught himself staring at her once again. His thoughts began to betray him as he began to think her smile was beautiful. He shook his head.

'_I have to get out of here.'_

"I'm leaving," he finally said, walking away from Deidara and Misaki.

Deidara watched his friend leave, hurt apparent in his eyes. Misaki noticed and rested her hand on his elbow. As much as part of her wanted to follow Sasuke and give him a piece of her mind, she decided to stay behind with Deidara and keep him company.

"Let's make those slips of paper!" she said happily, breaking Deidara from his thoughts. He smiled down at her.

"Thank you, Misaki," he said thankfully. He smiled as the two of them headed for a table. He couldn't help thinking to himself that Misaki wasn't like the other girls from the school. She wasn't not only pretty on the outside, but she was genuine and nice. The thought caused him to smile as Misaki led him back to the art room.

When they arrived, they got to work immediately, and after only a short time they had various names written out onto tiny slips of paper. Misaki sighed excitedly, placing the last name in a hat.

"That's the last one! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see who gets what part tomorrow! I really want to know who plays Romeo and Juliet!" she squealed happily.

Deidara nodded. "Yeah, me too, un." He then thought for a second. The sun was setting soon and Misaki would need a ride home. A blush crossed his cheeks. If Misaki didn't have a ride home then he could give her one. His face grew hot as he opened his mouth to ask. "It's getting late. How about I take you home?"

"Eh? Oh no, thanks though, Deidara. It's alright; I can catch the evening bus."

"The evening bus? Wouldn't it be safer to come with me in my car than with a bunch of strangers on the bus?" he asked, slightly worried.

"Uh… I didn't think of that. Ok, then, Deidara, thank you," she said smiling. The two cleaned up, returning the hat to the teacher, and left the room, heading for Deidara's car.

As the car drove away, a man appeared from around the corner. He watched the car drive away then smirked to himself. The wind whipped at his brown hair. His smirk grew as he thought about the certain dark haired girl that just rode away from him. As he walked away, his mind reeled.

'_It wouldn't be long now, my beautiful flower.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey folks! Thank you so much for all those reviews! I feel like I am on cloud nine! Ya'll inspire me to write more and better! Thank you so much! 3**

**This chapter in particular is seriously long! Hope ya'll like it! I'll be looking forward to the reviews! **

**And guys, there's a lot more drama coming up in the later chapters! Stay tuned! ;]**

Chapter 5

"Misa-chan! He's here!" Naruto yelled as he shook Misaki hard, waking her up.

Misaki and the gang were sitting in the hall with the rest of the students. Correction: Everyone else was sitting there while she was dozing off. Today all the information about the K-fest was going to be announced and the roles were to be distributed to the students. Everyone was busy chattering away in hushed tones as the room grew with excitement with each passing second.

"Morning!" Kakashi Sensei cheerily greeted everyone.

"Morning!" the students replied before quieting down to a murmur.

Misaki let out a huge yawn, rubbing her eyes drowsily. Last night was sleepless. Right before she fell asleep, she had had a weird feeling that something bad was going to happen the next day. Right now, however, all that she could think about was her soft, warm bed and sleep's sweet invitation. She felt her eyes closing.

"Misaki? Are you alright? You're not running a fever, are you?" Kiba asked in concern, putting his hand to her forehead.

"I'm alright. Just sleepy," Misaki replied, shrugging. She focused her attention back on Kakashi who continued giving instructions, "So when your name is called, please come up and grab a slip. The name written on it will be your role."

"Naruto Uzumaki," A voice announced from the stage. The said hyperactive blonde bounced up and picked out a slip of paper. He got the role of Benedict from _Much Ado About Nothing_ and the gang cheered as he sheepishly smiled and came back, poking out his tongue at a grinning Kiba.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

'_I wonder what role he will get... He really is actor material. His dark ebony locks, amber eyes and that gorgeous face... Wait WHAT?! GORGEOUS?! Ugh! That duck butt!' _Misaki made a grossed out face in response to her thoughts and watched him go on the stage and pick a slip.

"Ah!" Kakashi Sensei exclaimed. "We have our Romeo!"

All the girls began cheering and squealing, their eyes fixated on the dark haired teen.

Misaki and her friends just stared at them, sweat dropping. Tenten made a gagging expression, causing all of them to burst into a fit of laughter.

Up on stage, Sasuke just snorted and went back to his seat.

"Jerk," Kiba muttered.

"Hehe... I wonder who Juliet will be! I hope it's some fan girl who keeps clinging to him and annoying him!" Misaki laughed again at the image that was clouding her head.

"Misaki Yazuka." Misaki heard her name being announced loudly from the stage and proceeded to stand up.

"Tsk! Worry about that later, Sleepy head! It's your turn! Go pick your role!" With that, the blonde bonked her on the head and pushed her forward.

Misaki was really nervous by the time she reached the stage and, with one trembling hand, she took out the paper, stared at it, and nearly passed out.

_'This has got to be the worst nightmare ever...' _Misaki thought gravely, groaning inwardly.

Kakashi caught her expression and read the piece of paper in her hand. He winked at her before saying, "People, here's our Juliet!"

There were gasps from all over the room. Everyone's jaw had dropped. The girls were sending death glares toward her. The boys, however, shot daggers toward Sasuke. As the rest of the gang sent Misaki sympathetic looks, Naruto just sat there laughing his ass off.

Misaki went back to her seat, her face as pale as if she had seen a ghost and her brow twitching in frustration. _'Just what I needed...'_

The bell rang and everyone was dismissed to go to their respective play practice rooms. Naruto was still laughing wildly, clutching his stomach, as they walked down the corridor. "Misa-chan! This just has to be your day, believe it!" he choked out as he tried to catch his breath that was coming in short gasps.

Misaki looked up at him and Naruto immediately cringed away from her. Her eyes were scary, her face red with anger and her hands balled into fists. "You say something, blondie?" She slurred out the words in her most demeaning tone.

"Misa-chan, I... Uh... I was just kidding, ya know?" Naruto stammered as he backed away into the wall. Misaki started advancing towards him, cracking her knuckles, just when...

"Hey! Cola-girl!" a new, but familiar voice called out.

Misaki recognized it immediately. '_That annoying voice! INO!' _

"What do you want, Ino-pig?" Misaki spat, turning around to look at her. Ino was standing there with Sasuke, who looked really irritated.

"You know what I want! Keep your filthy hands off my Sasuke-kun! Just because you're playing the role of Juliet, don't think that you can feel him up."

"Feel _him_ up?!" Misaki asked disgustedly. "I wouldn't do a thing as gross as that even if I was drunk! Yuck! And plus, not every girl strives to be a whore like you." From behind them, Naruto snorted in agreement.

"You bitch!" Ino yelled as she advanced towards her. Misaki stood there with her fists balled, daring her to strike. Not a second later, Naruto came up beside her, grabbing her hand.

"She's not worth it, Misa-chan. Plus, you shouldn't be wasting time. Juliet is far too special to be messing around with the likes of her, right?" Naruto winked at her.

"Na-Naruto..." Misaki whispered, taken aback by his poignant gesture. She clutched his hand tighter and smiled at him.

"You little nutjob! Get outta my way and let me beat that wicked witch to death!" Ino spat out. Both teens turned to face her. Irritated, Ino raised her fist.

Naruto smirked, his hand shooting up to block the punch that Ino was just about to throw at Misaki. Sasuke beat him to it, his hand wrapping around Ino's. His once irritated eyes were now angry.

"I've told you before... And I'm telling you now, I **don't **need such insolence from you," Sasuke muttered into Ino's ear. Ino shuddered at his words.

Misaki watched the two in front of her, a weird feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. The way Sasuke was holding her, with his one arm around Ino's waist, the other holding her balled up hand and his face buried in her ear, Misaki couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt in her chest. '_What is happening to me?'_ She thought as she shook her head.

"Let's go Misa-chan," Naruto spoke interrupting her thoughts. He dragged Misaki away, his hand still linked with hers.

Sasuke stood there, watching as Misaki went off with Naruto. He let go of Ino, a wave of emotions overtaking him. The way Misaki and Naruto were holding hands angered him significantly. He huffed slightly marching off towards his assigned practice room, leaving an overwhelmed Ino in the middle of the crowd.

Ino stared vehemently at Sasuke's retreating figure. _'Sasuke... I will make you realize my worth... One day, you'll see that I'm not your mediocre marionette.'_

By the time Naruto and Misaki reached the practice room for Romeo and Juliet, everyone had all ready assembled, waiting for instructions. Misaki recognized the familiar brown head of her friend Tenten. Tenten had managed to get the role of Lady Montague, Romeo's mother. Misaki couldn't have been gladder that one of her friends was in the same play as her. Naruto said his goodbyes and Misaki entered the classroom quickly meeting up with Tenten.

"Misa-chan? You look a little shaken. Is something wrong?" She asked, her brows furrowed.

"Nah... Just sleepy," Misaki lied as she smiled to reassure her.

Tenten saw through her lie. "Is it about Sasuke again?"

"Uh? Kinda, you can say," Misaki answered, her head hanging.

"I need the deets!" the brunette implored impatiently, worry apparent in her eyes. Just then, Kakashi Sensei entered and everyone quietened down.

"Tenten, chill for now! I'll tell you everything after class," Misaki whispered. She glanced around the room and calmed a little knowing that everyone was just as nervous as she. Her eyes then fell on Sasuke. He was leaning back in his chair nonchalantly, completely ignoring a girl named Karin who was standing right beside him sending him flirtatious looks. Takashi Sensei's voice broke Misaki from her reverie and she focused her attention on him instead.

"First off: congratulations to everyone who made it on this team! This drama is going to be the highlight of the whole fest! I'm also really glad that almost everyone got a role that fits them perfectly," The white-haired teacher announced as he stood comfortably, leaning against his desk for support.

'_Yeah right. Perfect roles, my ass!' _Misaki thought, scoffing.

"So now, I want all of you to break into groups starting with the first scene and practice your dialogues. You can go anywhere in the school and I wish to see a perfect presentation after five days."

Everyone in the room groaned. '_Five__ days... that's gonna be hard...' _Misaki grumbled_._

The teacher turned his attention to Misaki and then to Sasuke. "Oh! And Misaki and Sasuke, I need you to spend maximum time together and rehearse your roles. You are the best part of the show. You both can go to the Music Room and practice there. Alone. You have to develop the chemistry, that passion that is necessary to portray Romeo and Juliet's star-crossed love," he added slyly. "Okay then, get moving everyone!" he concluded to the group.

'_Practice __with Uchiha? Alone?' _Misaki gulped, her teacher's words slowly sinking in.

"Misa-chan, you'll be okay. Just show that jerk his place if he does something," Tenten crooned, noticing the way her friend's face considerably paled.

"Hey, baka, I don't have all the time in the world for you," Sasuke seethed, coming up behind Misaki and Tenten.

Misaki jumped at the sound of his voice, flinching a little. "Hai. I am coming," she responded as she started following him out of the class. The girls scowled at her and Misaki sent a helpless look to Tenten as she exited the room.

The corridors were empty as Misaki and Sasuke made their way to the music room. Sasuke led her inside and once there, he propped himself up on a chair waiting for her to say something. His eyes flickered with annoyance. She sat down opposite him, her demeanor betraying the nervousness she was feeling.

"Uhh... Where do we start from?" Misaki questioned, fidgeting with the pages of the script. She bit her lower lip unconsciously.

Sasuke closely observed her, his eyes lingering on her face for longer than he intended. _'The look on her face... She looks so irresistible.' _ Just as he realized where his trail of thought was headed, Sasuke shook his head, trying to shake the thought out of his mind. _'NO! Not going that way...' _"Anywhere." He finally replied.

Misaki looked up at Sasuke. He seemed a little different. Cold, yes, but a little more gentle. Maybe, he wasn't really mean and his brash exterior hid a gentle, yet sensitive inside? The thought struck her, a slight hope welling in her chest, but then the feeling escaped her. It's probably better she didn't jump to assumptions, ne? Misaki smiled anyway. "Okay then, let's start from here..."

* * *

><p>It had been almost three hours and Sasuke and Misaki hadn't taken a minute's rest. Sasuke was an amazing actor. It was almost like the spirit of Romeo had entered him. Misaki wasn't bad either. She matched each of Sasuke's emotions and Sasuke was more impressed than he'd ever admit. She had been a little shy in the beginning, but now, she handled it like she had been acting for a while.<p>

"What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!" Sasuke read from the script.

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" Misaki continued with her monologue and just as she was about to complete it, the bell rang, signaling the lunch break as well as the end of school for the day. "Whew. That was tough," she muttered under her breath as she began to gather her things.

"Hn. You're not half bad as I thought, _Juliet," _Sasuke teased playfully.

"Gee, I'm flattered, _Romeo,_" Misaki said, giggling to herself. She exited the classroom and continued toward the canteen. _'Maybe... He's not that bad after all...'_

"Hn," Sasuke snorted, smirking. He exited behind her and headed out. _'Maybe... She's not that bad after all...'_

* * *

><p><p>

Three days had passed and Misaki and Sasuke were really doing well with their roles but, alas, they weren't even close to memorizing all of the lines. In one day, they were supposed to present it in front of the rest of the class and Kakashi Sensei. The pressure was overwhelming!

"This won't work," Sasuke muttered under his breath when Misaki forgot her dialogue. _Again. _

"I know, genius, but I'm trying, okay?!" Misaki yelled, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"You're fed up! It won't work unless you try it with a fresh mind!"

"Uchiha, I said I'm trying! I'm not some pro like you! This is the first time that I'll ever be doing something on stage! I'm tired. I'm nervous. And I'm messing up! I don't need your bullshit to add to that!" she exasperated as she slowly fell to her knees. "I... I'm not even sure if I can do this anymore..." she muttered, looking down at the script in her hands.

_'Damn... She's not gonna cry, right? I don't know what I'd end up doing...'_ Sasuke sighed as he slowly made his way towards Misaki and sat down next to her, leaning against the wall. "Look, I know how you feel," he said slowly, making her look up at him. Her eyes held tears that were on the verge of falling and he felt his heart squeeze. "Everyone expects you to be amazing and perfect and it's a lot of pressure. It is hard to cope sometimes... but..." he paused and sighed again.

It seemed as if it took Sasuke a lot of courage to be able to say something so meaningful and sensitive. Misaki just looked at him. This was the first time that they were having a civil conversation. It was weird but felt so right at the same time. It was almost as if he was sharing a secret with her. He continued.

"But... it's upon you to decide whether you are going to be strong and face up to the challenge or cower away like a helpless wimp. Considering you, I would say that you're tough enough to accept and complete the challenge." He looked down at her and smiled. A real smile.

'_So he is not the Ice King after all...' _ Misaki thought, smiling back at him, her eyes gleaming with a new found hope and happiness. "Thank you, Uchiha."

"You're welcome. Now about the play. We have five minutes before the bell rings. After school is over, you are coming to my place and we'll be practicing there. Got it?" Sasuke said, back in his normal emotionless tone.

_'This boy has some serious personality issues!' _Misaki thought, groaning inwardly_. _"Uhh... Yeah, okay. I'll just go tell Naruto about it."

"Fine. Meet me at the gate in 10 minutes. We'll take my car." And with that, Sasuke walked off.

_'Just when I thought he was showing some signs of being normal...' _Misaki sighed and walked towards Naruto's class. There he was, standing tall and proud on the top stair and delivering his monologue. Misaki waited for it to end and then clapped with everyone else.

"Misa-chan! What are you doing here?" Naruto hopped down from the staircase, and pulled her into a hug.

"Hehe... Wow, Naruto! You're amazing!"

"Ah well... I was just born awesome!"

"Of course you were! Now listen, I won't be coming in the bus today. I'm off to Uchiha's house-"

"Uchiha?! Why?! Are you insane?! Who knows what he'll do to you?!" Naruto interjected, flailing his arms around her.

"Naruto, calm down. We have to practice for our play! It won't be that bad."

"'Won't be that bad?!' Won't be that bad?! Are you nuts?! He's been picking on you since day one!"

"I know, Naruto! I know! But we have no choice, okay? And a lot has happened that you still don't know about. How about we go for a coffee day after and I'll tell you everything."

"I don't know what's happened?! Misaki! His girlfriend was about to wreck your face just this morning!"

"But he stopped her! Look, I have to go right now! I'll catch up with you later." Misaki scoffed, walking off.

'_Goodness. What'd I just do? I almost fell into an argument with Naruto over Sasuke! Kami help me. I'm losing it.' _ Misaki let out a low growl as she reached the gate. Sasuke was waiting for her in his black Reventon. He looked at her and nodded, bringing his car around and driving towards her so that she could get in. Everyone stared at her as if wondering what she would do next. Sasuke Uchiha had never ever taken any girl in his car. Bike ride, yes, on severely rare occasions. But **never** in his car. Misaki hesitated for a moment but then just stepped inside and shut the door. Everyone gasped; Sasuke looked pretty amused himself and smirked at the rest of the students. Ino was standing there at the gate now, her fists clenched and her mouth pressed into a hard line.

"Uh-oh." Misaki muttered as she settled into Sasuke's car.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Your girlfriend is not liking this. She'll pounce on me the next time I come into her sight."

"She is not my girlfriend. I didn't know you were afraid of her," Sasuke teased slightly.

"I am not afraid of anyone, Uchiha," Misaki noted brusquely. "And what do you mean she's not your girlfriend? How am I to believe that she's just a friend when she clings to you like a jealous puppy?"

"Hn, she's merely a means to entertain my whims."

"A means to entertain your whims?! Not that I'm fond of Ino-Pig, but you are heartless if that's what you think of her! No girl deserves to be treated like that!" Misaki exclaimed.

"Well, she doesn't really mind, nor do most of the other girls. I never asked her to do anything for me. She came to me on her own."

Now Sasuke was pissing her off. "You can't make someone your personal slave! Girls are not rag-dolls who will do anything you want," Misaki raged.

"Well, I guess I can," Sasuke said offhandedly. "Listen, and get this clear, I never ask them for anything. They come to me on their _own_. They think of themselves as a means to entertain me and I let them. They never bother to go against anything I say and that is not my fault. I have no interest in any of them. In fact, honestly, I am looking for someone who is a level above them and perhaps has enough sense to stand up for herself. Simply put, those fan-girls are _not my type._" Sasuke explained, annoyance clearly evident in his words.

His words held such intensity that Misaki shut up. '_Arrogant bastard,'_ She thought.

_'Damn... why am I bothering to answer her?' _Sasuke wondered_._

They soon reached the Uchiha home, which was more like a large estate. It was huge! Gigantic doors with the Uchiha symbol opened up to welcome Sasuke's car into a landscape of breathtaking cherry blossom and ash bud trees. Misaki was so lost in the scenery that she didn't even notice herself gasp as she gawked out of the window. "It's all so beautiful." Her mouth was agape with a small smile and amusement in her eyes.

Sasuke looked at her, his eyes softening and his anger dissipating quickly. Before he could stop himself, the words spilled softly and automatically: "Yeah, really beautiful." Misaki was far too occupied to notice his words. He let out a sigh of relief and drove faster. _'She sure is dense... Hn, whatever... As if I care.' _He stopped in front of their mansion and stepped out, killing the engine. Misaki was still gawking as if she hadn't moved an inch. Her eyes widened slightly, realization dawning on her.

"You live in _that_?!" Misaki blurted out.

It was a humongous, white structure with French windows on the ground floor. A complete line of windows and balconies lined the second and third floors. As Misaki followed Sasuke to the large, ornate entryway doors, she stared lovingly at the beautiful fountain in the center of the walkway. Sasuke took a minute to open the front doors and Misaki used the opportunity to take another look at the grounds. Everything was spectacularly immaculate. From her new vantage point, Misaki could see the huge shed beside the house that showcased their many ridiculously expensive and luxurious cars.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at Misaki's question. "Yes, I live in _that_. Let's go." Misaki followed him as he led her into the main hall, the expression of awe still plastered on her face. "Just follow this corridor. There is a staircase at the end towards the left. Go up. You'll find a room with double doors that have my clan's crest inscribed on it. It's hard to miss. Wait there while I get some coffee," Sasuke ordered.

"Ok..." She mindlessly responded, her thoughts elsewhere. She made her way to the end of the passage, onto the staircase, and towards the room with the double doors. "There it is!" she exclaimed, walking through the other doors that were at her side. All of a sudden, the lights started flickering and then completely went out. There was a shrill sound of a weapon slashing and hitting its target. Misaki's eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings, her heart pounding in her chest. "Uchiha? This is not funny!" she yelled out, trying not to stammer with horror. She backed out into the hallway.

A door creaked open from down the hall and a hunched figure clad in all black with fur on its face stepped into the center of the hallway. Misaki could only make out its silhouette in the dark. She took a step back and then another. "U-Uchiha?" She spluttered out. The figure looked up, its eyes flashing red and suddenly dashed towards her with a snarl. "Holy mother of God!" She shrieked and ran.

'_What the hell is going on?!' _Misaki thought, screaming, as she sprinted down the staircase. She shut her eyes tight in an attempt to block out all the voices. As she rushed quickly down the hall, her heart beating quickly, she abruptly tripped. "Ah!" she screamed, bracing herself for the impact of the hard marble floor, but instead, she was met with a warm body and strong arms holding her tight and still. She opened her eyes to look at the familiar face of a certain Uchiha. "Sasuke?" She whispered.

"Misaki? What are you doing? And just why are you so pale?" the said Uchiha asked, masking his concern in his monotone. _'That's the first time she's ever called me with my first name... I could hear it in her sweet voice over and over.' _Sasuke's trail of thoughts was interrupted.

Misaki's hands clenched his shirt as her words rushed out, "There... There's something upstairs! It's scary! I did as you said! I went upstairs and then suddenly the lights went off and your whole frickin' corridor turned into something from a haunted house and... and then there was this black, furry monster that started chasing me! Its eyes were red and-"

"Calm down, Misaki." Sasuke interrupted as his hand cupped her cheek and forced her to stay still. Misaki looked into his eyes. They held concern and some other emotion that Misaki was far too worked up mentally to perceive.

Sasuke's lips turned into a small smile, his eyes twinkling with amusement. '_She really is shaken up... Kami, her scent is so intoxicating...' _He was brought back to reality with the sound of Misaki's sigh. She nodded her head and Sasuke continued, "How about I come up with you and we have a look at that_ monster_?"

Misaki nodded again, detaching herself from him. She took his hand in hers, clutching it as if her life depended on it. Sasuke looked at her and led her upstairs. '_It has to be him... My little Itazura-sha.' _Sasuke inwardly smirked having deciphered the whole situation.

Misaki and Sasuke entered the darkened corridor. The sound of the creaking door came again. Misaki's body tensed. She moved closer to Sasuke and held his hand tighter as they moved towards the door. The figure came out again, snarling. It locked eyes with Misaki and in a second it was in front of her ready to pounce. Misaki let out a whimper and buried her face into Sasuke's chest. his hand that was previously clenched in hers came up to her waist and pulled her close. Misaki felt a jerk and she shut her eyes tight.

"Misaki, open your eyes," she heard Sasuke say, chuckling after what felt like eternity.

Misaki looked up at him. The lights were back on and Sasuke's face held a huge grin, his eyes dancing with laughter. He jerked his head towards his other hand, motioning her to look at it. As slowly as possible, she turned her head and bit back a yelp as she looked at the figure he was holding. It was the monster! She got out of Sasuke's grip and latched onto his hand, hiding behind him. He let out a laugh and put the small figure down. The monster began to laugh.

"HUH?" Misaki's eyes widened in confusion.

Sasuke bent down towards the figure and pulled at the fur on the creature's head, which willingly came off to reveal the face of a small boy, who looked a lot like him.

"That was fun, Sasuke-san! Let's do it again some time!" the little boy said as he hurtled himself into Sasuke's arms.

Misaki sighed in relief as she started putting all the pieces together. _' Wow... I fell for a horror prank. Way to go, Misaki... Wait a minute! Sasuke Uchiha is... laughing?' _she thought, shocked. Misaki slipped down the wall and onto her legs as she looked at the two in slight disbelief.

"Anything for you, Itazura-sha. But first, go apologize to her," Sasuke told the little boy as he pointed towards Misaki.

Misaki smiled as the young boy hopped out of Sasuke's arms and ran towards her, Sasuke following closely behind.

"Miss? I'm sorry. Please forgive me?" The little boy said as he gave her a super-cute smile.

Misaki looked at him, her face lighting up with a radiant smile as she giggled at his charming face. "I forgive you! But, I have a condition," Misaki teased lightly as she motioned for him to come closer. She then whispered in his ear, Sasuke looking at her with a confused expression. "You have to become my friend and have ice-cream with me," Misaki murmured in the boy's ear.

The boy's eyes widened, a beautiful smile adorning his face. "Of course, Miss!" He hugged her and then ran back into Sasuke's arms, who picked him up and laughed again. "She said that she wants to be my friend and have ice-cream with me! Let's go down! Ice-cream time!" the little boy exclaimed, jumping out of Sasuke's hands. Sasuke stood there looking at him, his smile never leaving his face.

Misaki got up and looked at him. _'He looks so peaceful and happy. Is this the real Sasuke?' _She smiled as she walked up to him. "You really care a lot about him, Uchiha..." she stated.

Sasuke just nodded his head as he motioned for her to follow him downstairs. "He's my nephew, Daisuke."

"Oh? I didn't know Itachi-san was married!" Misaki exclaimed.

"And I didn't know you would fall for his prank so badly!" Sasuke snorted out with a smirk.

"You moron!" the girl yelled as she went to punch him in the shoulder.

Sasuke caught it easily, pulling her towards him. "Now, now, Misa-chan, weren't you just clinging on to me for dear life a few minutes back? Is this how you treat your _savior_?" he cooed in her ear.

Misaki's body tensed as she felt how close he was to her. A few minutes back when they were this way, her mind was far too preoccupied to decipher anything, but now, with him at such a proximity, she couldn't help but _feel_ the way he was holding her, one hand clutching her balled fist, the other around her waist pulling her as close to him as possible. She blushed and he smirked, pulling her even closer until their lips were just centimeters apart. They were both leaning in, closer and closer until realization hit Misaki.

_'He is holding me the same way as he held Ino...'_ Misaki's mind registered quickly causing her to immediately pull away from him. They both looked at each other. The hurt and denial Misaki felt in her heart was evident in her eyes. _'He thinks I'm no better than her...' s_he thought bitterly.

Sasuke's chest hurt from Misaki's blatant denial. His eyes flashed the hurt that was surging through him. Then the event dawned on him. "Hn..." He snorted then walked off. _'The kiss... It would have been perfect. Why did she pull away? Why does it matter?! She's just a nobody,' _Sasuke's mind reasoned as his fists clenched, his demeanor cold once more.

Misaki followed closely behind him but made sure to maintain her distance. They went into the kitchen where Daisuke was already sitting on the table with a bowl full of ice-cream. "Sasuke-san!" he said with his mouth full. Sasuke's eyes softened again, his smile coming back.

"Itazura-sha..." Sasuke murmured and walked towards him.

"Miss! Here's some for you!" Daisuke turned towards Misaki with another bowl full of ice cream.

"Why, thank you, Daisuke! And you can call me Misaki." She walked towards him and sat down with a smile, the tension of the previous events evaporating quickly.

"Wow... You are really pretty, Misaki-san," Daisuke said in awe as he stared at her with his sparkling eyes.

Misaki blushed and then giggled. "You are quite handsome yourself!" she replied taking a closer look at the younger Uchiha. He had the same trademark obsidian eyes and jet black hair that seemed to defy gravity with sharp facial features and a dazzling smile that were pretty evident in all the Uchiha's she'd come across. _'He's sure to have even more fan-girls than Sasuke when he grows up!' _Misaki giggled.

Sasuke just looked at the two happy faces in front of him. He felt something stir in his heart as he looked at the raven-haired girl who was laughing with his nephew. He went and sat at the table opposite Misaki, who was currently engaged in conversation with the younger Uchiha.

"I love to play tag and hide and seek! Sasuke-san always plays with me! And you know? I always win! I am the best!" Daisuke mumbled through mouthful of ice cream.

Misaki laughed and looked at Sasuke who still held the happiness in his eyes. He turned and their eyes met. Time seemed frozen as they realized what had just happened a few minutes ago and Misaki snapped her head away, avoiding looking at the said Uchiha.

"Itazura-sha? Come on now. Misaki-san and I have some work to do. You can go play in the garden, okay?" Sasuke spoke as he took the two empty ice-cream bowls and put them away.

"Sasuke-san? Can I just sit there with you? I won't make any noise nor disturb you. I promise. Can I stay? Can I? Can I?" Daisuke pleaded as he put on the most irresistible face.

_'How can anyone say 'no' to that little thing?!' _Misaki wondered as she let out a giggle.

Sasuke sighed as he looked at his nephew. _'I have to learn not giving in to him...' _"Fine, but only for as long as you keep your promise," he warned.

"Yay!" Daisuke chimed. The three made their way to the library.

* * *

><p>"I think we should call it a day," Sasuke muttered as he plopped himself down on the big recliner.<p>

"It's weird saying this, but for once I agree with you, Uchiha. Three hours of Romeo and Juliet is an overdose," Misaki replied as she sat down on the sofa next to Daisuke, who had fallen asleep. She looked at him and smiled. He was curled up on one end of the couch, sucking the thumb that was inside his mouth. A few strands of hair fell on his face, which Misaki gently swept away. She allowed herself to let out a small chuckle at the adorable sight in front of her.

Her cell phone vibrated suddenly bringing her out of her trance. The photo of the caller flashed brightly on her screen and she beamed. "Naruto," she whispered so as not to wake the little Uchiha. Sasuke's head snapped in her direction the second he heard Naruto's name. "Oh? I'll be there! Just a few minutes! You really didn't have to go through all the trouble! I'm coming!" she whispered rapidly.

_'What is she talking to that knucklehead about?' _Sasuke wondered.

"Uhm, Uchiha? Could you show me the way out? Naruto is waiting for me outside. He's come to pick me up!" Misaki explained to Sasuke as she got up from the sofa, making sure Daisuke was comfortable. Sasuke nodded as he led her out of the mansion. There on the main gate, as expected, they were greeted by the sight of the restless blonde, who was tapping his foot as he typed away on his phone.

"Naruto!" Misaki shouted out as she scuttled towards him.

"Ah! Misa-chan! I've been waiting since so long! I thought we were supposed to go for a coffee!" the blonde whined.

"I said we'd go tomorrow, you baka!"

"Oh? Eh, I guess I forgot!" he replied as he lamely rubbed the back of his head.

"Hn... Loser," Sasuke muttered loud enough for Naruto to hear.

"What'd you say?" Naruto asked as he stepped towards him.

"Just what you heard," Sasuke coolly replied stuffing his hands in his pocket.

"Huh! Arrogant Uchiha! Take me on! One-on-one! Then we'll see who the loser is!"

"Hn... as if I'd bother to take out time for something as petty as that."

"Ugh... You guys... Naruto! Come on! It's getting dark!" Misaki interjected between the two, as she grabbed Naruto by his arm and started dragging him away.

"You wait, Uchiha! I'll make you pay!" the angry blonde yelled over his shoulder as they neared the gate.

Misaki inwardly groaned. _'Why do all these men have to be so fueled with testosterone?!' _

* * *

><p>"Naruto? What's wrong? You haven't said a word since we left the compound," Misaki asked. They were walking in silence on their way home as the blonde fidgeted with the straps of his backpack. He looked up at her, his sapphire eyes looking confused.<p>

"Say, Misa-chan, I didn't mean to yell at you in the afternoon. I'm sorry." he said, looking down at the road, his hands by his sides.

"Naruto, come on! It's alright! I didn't mean to yell at you either," Misaki said as she smiled at the blonde, who gleefully flashed his infamous 500 mega-watt smile.

"I thought you were still angry at me! Boy, was I scared! You are kinda horrifying when you're angry, Misa-chan."

"Huh? What'd you say, baka?!"

"Ah- nothing!"

"You'd better not be talking utter nonsense again," Misaki snarled at him and after a moment of silence, they both burst out laughing.

"You are my best friend in the whole wide world, ya know," Naruto spoke softly.

"I know, Blondie. And you are my best friend in the whole wide world too!" Misaki linked her arm with his. He chuckled in response.

"Well, Misa-chan, there was something that I wanted to ask you... What did you mean when you said that a lot has happened that I don't know about?"

Misaki looked taken aback at that. _'Should I tell him about the way Sasuke tried to soothe me when I was about to cry? Or the way he actually behaves with his nephew? Should I tell him about the weird flips my heart does every time I see that bastard Uchiha smile?' _She wondered. _'He is my best friend. Yes. I will tell him. He has every right to know.' _

"Earth to Misaki. Stop spacing out!" he shrieked in her ear, disrupting her thought process.

"Uh... I really don't know where to start. All these hours of practice that I spent with the Uchiha, I feel like I don't know him at all. I mean, I think there's more to him than what meets the eye, ya know. He's not just some arrogant, selfish bastard. Well, scratch that. He is an arrogant, selfish bastard, but, at the same time, he is also kind, selfless, and a caring person. God! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore!" Misaki babbled out as she clutched her head in confusion.

Naruto just looked at her with understanding in his eyes. "It's actually kinda hard to believe that Uchiha can be kind, selfless, and caring, ya know," he spoke slowly.

"I know! If a few weeks back someone would have said that to me, I would have laughed at them. But today, I saw him smile like a real person, Naruto. A real smile. And in the afternoon, during our rehearsals, when I couldn't remember any of my lines and I was panicking, he... he talked to me and made me feel better, Naruto. It was almost as if he cared. We _actually talked_. Ugh, I've never felt so confused in my life!" Misaki groaned out.

"I see. I think you should give it some time," Naruto replied calmly, a smile playing on his lips and his eyes shining bright.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, give the both of yourselves some time. You are the first person who has ever said such things about Sasuke, and I would be lying if I said that he treated you the way he treated the other girls. Or anyone else for that matter. The way he looks at you, it's difficult to understand whether he hates you or likes you," Naruto said softly so that his words could sink into her brain and his as well. _'I think, the both of them... they just might be... Perfect for each other!' _His mind reeled. _'Now I just have to make sure if my guess is right... I have to get the both of them to confess to liking each other! No matter how much I hate that stupid duck butt, the way he and Misa-chan click is just undeniable.' _

"Naruto, you've got it all wrong! He is good to me sometimes, but he pushes me away the next second! I'm telling you, he has some serious personality issues!" the raven-haired girl groaned yet again.

"Ah... Never mind... We'll talk about this some other time... Right now, I have some good news for ya..." he said, yawing.

"Well, what is it?"

His face broke out into a huge grin as he gave her a thumbs up. "You and I, Misa-chan. We are neighbors now! Believe it!" he exclaimed happily.

"OH MY GOD! YOU BOUGHT THE APARTMENT! Congrats, Naruto! This is gonna be so cool!" she said excitedly in response, jumping onto him to hug him.

"Haha! Yeah!"

* * *

><p><p>

_Trrinnnggg trrinnnggg_

"Hello?" a girl spoke in an annoyed tone as she answered the unknown number.

"Yamanaka Ino?" came a gruff voice from the other end.

"Look, if you're one of those guys from the credit card companies who's called about some nonsensical offer, then lemme save our time and tell you, I'm not interested. And if you're one of my fucking fan-boys, I'm not interested in talking to you either," Ino snapped coldly.

"Ah, you sure are as feisty as they say. Unfortunately for you, I'm neither of them. In fact, I believe I have a plan that is going to peak your interest..." the man replied with a hint of a smirk in his voice.

"Who are you, creep?! And what the hell do you want?"

"We can have a formal introduction some time soon. And as for what I want... I want Yakuza Misaki... away from Uchiha Sasuke. I believe you will help me. You might wanna save the number. I'll call you again pretty soon." And with that the line went dead.

_'Misaki away from Sasuke... I have a really good feeling about this... Finally, I can have what's mine. Better enjoy what time you have with my Sasuke, Cola-girl, 'cuz I'm going to bring your very own personal hell to you,' _Ino snarled as she held her phone tightly in her hands, staring at the number lit up by the caller-id.


End file.
